Police charge man with towing car he couldn't steal

HILLSIDE — An Irvington man was arrested Wednesday after Hillside police caught him allegedly stealing a car by having it towed to his house.

According to a release from Hillside police Lt. Vincent Ricciardi, Oneil N. Swaby, 21, first tried to steal a blue 1998 Acura Integra Wednesday morning from the parking lot of a Long Avenue convenience store. When the attempt failed, Swaby, posing as the vehicle’s owner, called a tow truck to have the car transported to his Irvington residence.

It is not believed that the tow truck driver was in on the scam, said Hillside police Lt. Richard Floyd.

Hillside and Irvington police tracked the car to Krotik Place in Irvington, where Swaby was arrested and charged with theft of a motor vehicle. He is currently being held in the Union County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bail.